Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Ankara not a big college town

Barack Obama yesterday in a speech to the American Legion --

And more broadly, the crisis in Iraq underscores how we have to meet today's evolving terrorist threat. The answer is not to send in large-scale military deployments that overstretch our military, and lead for us occupying countries for a long period of time, and end up feeding extremism. Rather, our military action in Iraq has to be part of a broader strategy to protect our people and support our partners to take the fight to ISIL. So we’re strengthening our partners -- more military assistance to government and Kurdish forces in Iraq and moderate opposition in Syria. We're urging Iraqis to forge the kind of inclusive government that can deliver on national unity, and strong security forces and good governance that are ultimately going to be the antidote against terrorists. And we're urging countries in the region and building an international coalition, including our closest allies, to support Iraqis as they take the fight to these barbaric terrorists.

Barack Obama announcement today --

President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Ankara, Turkey to attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President-elect of the Republic of Turkey on August 28, 2014. Mr. Jess L. Baily, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of the United States to the Republic of Turkey, will attend the Inauguration.

So when the supposed distinguishing feature of his counterterrorism strategy compared to that awful man George W. Bush is that it relies more on regional partnerships, all Turkey gets for its Presidential Inauguration of the country's dominant politician is that the interim ambassador will hop in a car and head over to the event? That would be Turkey: NATO member, Syria and Iraq neighbour, transit route for foreign fighters, outlet for Kurdish oil, and all-round major player in the region!